If you happen to be on social media you have probably seen posts about something called a bullet journal. Their pages filled with pretty lettering and amazing drawings. Most likely youâve seen it and kept scrolling after giving pause to admire them. Maybe youâve looked them up on Instagram or Pinterest and watched videos on YouTube trying to figure out what it is. Maybe youâve even thought it would be cool to use one but are intimidated by it thinking that you cannot in a million years ever create something that beautiful so why even try. Well, let me tell you it isnât even about all of that if you donât want it to be!
I am not an artsy person but I was very intrigued with the idea of the bullet journal. So, back in June I decided to start one after months of debate and looking at everyone elseâs. I didnât go full board as I usually would but rather I decided I would start slowly. Instead of heading to Amazon and loading my cart up with all of the pens and journals everyone recommends, I went to my local Barnes & Noble and picked up a pretty, lined journal on clearance for less than $6. Then I went to Target and picked up a pack of Sharpie pens that were on sale. Worse case would be that I had a cool journal and fun pens to use for other stuff if I didnât follow through on it.
Now the fun part. I had a few articles that I kept referring back to even after reading tons of them. These are the main ones I wanted to share with you in case you have no idea where to begin.
Why the Humble Notebook Is Flourishing in the iPhone Era
Buzzfeed Article (upfront warning, thereâs language đ)
These Instagrammersâ Bullet Journals Are Organizational Masterpieces
Now in order to get constant inspiration I joined a couple Facebook groups.
I also consult Pinterest searching bullet journal and then drilling it down depending on what Iâm looking for. Then thereâs Instagram for picture inspo using hashtags like #bulletjournal. REMEMBER. Do not get hung up on how otherâs pages look. There are so many posts about how discouraged people were to start because they felt their pages would not turn out as well as others. Donât do that to yourself. Just go to get ideas and be amazed by the talent out there!
If you really want someone to sit down and explain the process to you then I recommend heading to YouTube for videos about using a bullet journal. There are also videos that show how to do lettering which Iâve recently gotten into watching a lot of. I would love to be able to do some of the really cool, flowy type of lettering I see out there!
And finally, make sure to check out the Bullet Journal site that was launched 3 years ago by itâs creator, Ryder Carroll. There you will find information about bullet journaling as well as videos and the store to buy the Bullet Journal notebook. Make sure to watch the introduction video as well as the video for how to break in a new notebook that shows how to avoid damaging the spine and to help it lay flat.
My current approach to the layouts in mine are pretty plain Jane with a simple banner for my days. This is a layout Iâve used for a couple weeks now. I have a daily goal on my month page for 10k steps a day and to drink 60 oz of water a day. If I meet those goals here then I will color in the block in the tracker on my month page. The meal tracker has breakfast, lunch, dinner, and 2 snacks. My current Book of the Week is Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling) in case you wondered. đ
I mainly use my black Staedtler pen and only use color on my trackers. Recently I started adding washi tape to page edges to help locate pages easier. I have also used it a couple times to hide mistakes. In my current bullet journal I have yearly, monthly, weekly, trackers, monthly gratitude log, exercise, and starting for August a challenge (6 word story). I plan to add a couple of task pages to the back for cleaning (what to do when for the year) and an inbox zero (I am horrible with deleting emails!).  I plan to start another bullet journal for collections and currently am planning a Netfilx list, places to visit, places visited, and 40 before 40 bucket list.
Hereâs my current (first) journal on the left and a second journal I picked up. Both are from Barnes & Noble for under $6 each (got additional discount with their member savings). I havenât decided yet if I will pick up a dotted journal from Moleskin or Leuchtturm for the new year or continue with using a general lined journal.
Supplies here Iâve picked up from Target. Sticky notes and flags are from the dollar spot there. The Moleskin was on special, buy one get one half off, and the pencil case is actually a makeup pencil case. I also picked up Sharpie and Staedtler pens there. And I have various washi tape from IKEA and Office Max too.
Here are 3 infographics I consulted as I was going along too.
 I will share some of the layouts that Iâve worked with in a new post next month. Until then follow us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter for more inspiration. Sign up for our emails too!
How I Started Using a Bullet Journal #bulletjournal #bujo #kittyandlulu If you happen to be on social media you have probably seen posts about something called a bullet journal.
